Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-04-15

D 81 81 t..+- II. t"2 :.
daughters silentness, Men have &
real, rare delicacy, as veil as women
Three men are there aiso, from tn,
wreck. Rachel stalks abort grimly
doing the honors of the table. Will,
inwardly she is troubled at Mary't
white face, and determines TO- dose
her with catnip tea and send her bach
to bed.
One OF the men tell the story of the
wreck, and Mary is thankful that
thus she is saved from having to talk
to the minister. She cannot and will
not meet his eye, for it she does she
knows the tel1-tale blood will leap to
her face. Outwardly she.is pale and
calm and naughty.
After breakfast she escapes to the
kitchen, and meekly takes the catnip
tea rather than struggle with Rachel,
whose grim sternness and firm eness
she knows of old; and she is curious
ly willing to slip off to bed. Not that
she meant to sleep but the minister
will be gone when she goes down stairs
again.
She wakes up in tho middle of the
afternoon from refreshing sleep, to
find Rachel by the bed with a. deli
cious omelet and toast and tea.
Then she dresses and slips down in
to the little sitting-room; similar
room to the kitchen, only carpeted
and With crimson curtains for the
freight to fall upon. She knows the
men are all gone, for she hears her
father out in the yard plling up wood
IN the shed, and the house is perfect.
ly still, but for the quick stepping OF
Rachel across the kitchen floor.
SO she stands secure before the fire,
with hands spread out to the blaze.
Again she is q picture in her close~ft-
ting brown dress, only relieved at
wrist and throat by white lace and
the group Of sweet-scented geranium
leaves she loves to wear; for back
ground the warm crimson of the dra-
peries.
The sun has dropped down beyond
the woods, and only the fre-hashes
light the room. What acontrast and
comfort this evening to the storm
and terror OF last night! Her face
pales and she catches her BREATH
= Suddenly two hands drop ON her
shoulders, and a masterful, happy
face is bent above her. She is turned,
gently, but firmly round, and IN her
surprise looks up in the minister )
face, and q teazing smile is there.
"Priscilla!'' Oh, how the name
sounds from his lips! "Priscilla, am
John Alden. Now say your lines as
you did last night, and look in my
face and mean them for me!''
81 will not, and I hate you, John
(before she knows the word has slipped
out) Endicotte! I'll never, never,
never forgive you!"
But the touch of those hands are
thrilling her through and through,
and she is not quite master of herself.
why? You saved my life.''
"You have Inundated me beyond
forgiveness"
"But you will forgiven
His hand had slipped under her
chin, and her face lifted up so he can
read all it's meaning.
Haughtily she gathers up all her
energies to resist him.: but she cannot
slip from those OBTAINING hands. Her
face is pale and desperate. Her lips
part.
''You do forgive?'
Some strange vibration in the voice
did the words sound half-strangled
in the throat?-makes her glance up
to face unaturally calm. His grasp
is wounding her:
A quivering OF her lips, g. food OF
tenderness weeping all her face, yield
ing of the whole tense form, then
womanlike-
"YeS-JOhn